Many users of mobile electronic devices such as smart phones, tablet computers, portable computers, satellite radios, vehicle navigation systems, etc., use streaming services (e.g., movies, music, etc.), periodic downloading of data (e.g., map data), or location and profile triggering services that deliver offers and promotions in the context of mobile e-commerce.
In the case of e-commerce, customers have an application (commonly referred to as an “App”) on their smart phone sourced from a physical (i.e., brick and mortar) store, and have registered for location-based offers from that retailer and/or vendor. For example, a user might download an application for a bookstore and join that bookstore's loyalty club in order to get special offers. The bookstore, through its loyalty program, will be aware of the user's purchasing habits, and will be able to predict possible future purchases. The bookstore can then instruct its application to provide the user with a special, time-limited offer for a book it believes the user might wish to buy when the user gets within a certain distance of a physical store. If, for example, the user has bought several books in a series, the bookstore may wish to offer the user a discount on the next book in the series. Such customized and real-time offers deliver value and benefits to customers and drive revenue and boost customer loyalty for the retailers.
However, mobile networks are not always reliable and may not deliver a continuous, uninterrupted service. This can be for reasons of congestion or geographic limitations and signal coverage, particularly in rural areas. As a result, a consumer may suffer a network failure, depriving her of streaming communication with a central server, and therefore the information about what offers are available for her current geographic area. This can cause both the consumer and the retailer to suffer from a lost opportunity.